Give information about current designs to those who seek it
Allow a forum for new design proposals from anyone
Be open source wherever possible
OpenSpacecraft News
05/01/2012- Interesting article on the X37-B: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16423881
It claims that the Chinese space program is untrustworthy because government and military programs is blurred. It then goes on the defend the X37-B as a military craft. While I appreciate that "military" and "civilian" space programs are apparently separate in the US, has NASA never performed a military operation?
Young stars, black holes, even other forms of life and a dazzling new set of super-telescopes.
7/08/2011 - Wow, FREE 10 week single module course from Stanford university on Artificial intelligence! I wonder what experiment it is.- http://www.ai-class.com/
6/08/2011 - Being has confirmed it will use the Atlas 5 rocket to test its CST-100 ship on three flights in 2015.
CST-100 Crew launcher
The first flight will put the ship in orbit, the second will take the CST-100 part-way towards space before practising an abort. In this procedure, the capsule will push itself away from the rocket mid-flight as if there were some problem on the rocket. This will be a critical test of astronaut safety features built into the capsule in the event of an emergency.
If these flights go well, the third launch invlove Boeing test pilots traveling in CST-100 to the International Space Station. The CST-100 would then be considered ready for a commercial service starting in 2016. But as we all know space deadlines, in particular comercial ones, are subject to massive delays. Hopefully the retirement of the space shuttle will encourage a more rapid development pace.
Nasa and ULA have work to do in preparing the Atlas rocket for astronaut launch duties. They will determine which components on the Atlas meet Nasa's requirements for human spaceflight and which elements need upgrading. ULA is also developing an emergency detection system inside the Atlas to give early warning of a major malfunction. ULA also needs to prepare a gantry structure to allow astronauts access the capsule when mounted on top of an Atlas at its launch pad.
28/07/2011 - Rediscovered an old article from 2005 on space debris. They is a growing problem to orbiting satellites and manned stations.
Space debris in a low earth orbit (NASA, 2005)
Space debris in a high earth orbit (NASA, 2005)
28/07/2011 - RedskinkResearch team successfully tested early HABTAP test flight to trial initial parachute.
14/07/2011 - Jeff Greason ISDC 2011 Keynote Address - A Settlement Strategy for NASA "the ultimate goal of human exploration is to chart a path for human expansion into the solar system."
The Settlement paradigm (outlined by Jeff Greason 2011)
GOAL
STRATEGY
OBJECTIVES
Permanent and expanding population beyond the earth
1. For each location, develop resources and use them to reach the next location.
2. Government should add to commercial market to stimulate supply.
3. Identify technology gaps and fill them
- LEO, L1 facilities so any kind of launch vehicle can supply propellent - Lunar base, human tended, for propellent production and export to L1 / LEO - Phobos propellant production to support Mars missions (may practice on NEO) - Mar base, human tended, for propellant production and to support exploration.
Jeff Greason straight talking on US space policy. Refreshing and interesting discussion of US space policy. Politicians in recent years have left the public unsure as to US space policy, using coded words and ambiguous terms. Jeff translates the political babble and deciphers an implied US space policy. He also presents a way to encourage private development through a propellant based space economy.
10/07/2011 - Horizon Guide: The Moon (External link)
(External Link)
Professor Brian Cox shows highlights of 50 years of BBC archive film and talks about the space race and culminating in the Moon landings.
10/04/2011 - Added New Amateur Submission page and top pages with the most changes in the navigation column
Traveling at the edge of space - Lecture on space technology
09/04/2011 - Back catalog of of previous designs is constantly being updated, at the moment we are focusing on listing all old and ongoing projects then adding in tables at the top of every page. There are so many project to write about! Do you know anything about the projects listed? Can you help fill in the blanks? Every spacecraft project needs the standard table at the top (see Skylon for our current table as this is our most advanced page).
Our Top Editors
News Feeds
Here's some interesting science related news feeds:
BBC Science and Environment news feed BBC News - Science & Environment
Welcome to the OpenSpacecraft Wiki!
This wiki aims to:
OpenSpacecraft News
05/01/2012- Interesting article on the X37-B: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16423881
It claims that the Chinese space program is untrustworthy because government and military programs is blurred. It then goes on the defend the X37-B as a military craft. While I appreciate that "military" and "civilian" space programs are apparently separate in the US, has NASA never performed a military operation?
29/09/2011-China's Space ambitions: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15112760
29/08/2011- Russia's Progress Cargo Spacecraft Crashed on the 24th of August 2011.
24/08/2011- Horizon - Seeing Stars (External link)
Young stars, black holes, even other forms of life and a dazzling new set of super-telescopes.
7/08/2011 - Wow, FREE 10 week single module course from Stanford university on Artificial intelligence! I wonder what experiment it is.- http://www.ai-class.com/
6/08/2011 - Being has confirmed it will use the Atlas 5 rocket to test its CST-100 ship on three flights in 2015.
The first flight will put the ship in orbit, the second will take the CST-100 part-way towards space before practising an abort. In this procedure, the capsule will push itself away from the rocket mid-flight as if there were some problem on the rocket. This will be a critical test of astronaut safety features built into the capsule in the event of an emergency.
If these flights go well, the third launch invlove Boeing test pilots traveling in CST-100 to the International Space Station. The CST-100 would then be considered ready for a commercial service starting in 2016. But as we all know space deadlines, in particular comercial ones, are subject to massive delays. Hopefully the retirement of the space shuttle will encourage a more rapid development pace.
Nasa and ULA have work to do in preparing the Atlas rocket for astronaut launch duties. They will determine which components on the Atlas meet Nasa's requirements for human spaceflight and which elements need upgrading. ULA is also developing an emergency detection system inside the Atlas to give early warning of a major malfunction. ULA also needs to prepare a gantry structure to allow astronauts access the capsule when mounted on top of an Atlas at its launch pad.
28/07/2011 - Rediscovered an old article from 2005 on space debris. They is a growing problem to orbiting satellites and manned stations.
28/07/2011 - RedskinkResearch team successfully tested early HABTAP test flight to trial initial parachute.
14/07/2011 - Jeff Greason ISDC 2011 Keynote Address - A Settlement Strategy for NASA
"the ultimate goal of human exploration is to chart a path for human expansion into the solar system."
The Settlement paradigm (outlined by Jeff Greason 2011)
2. Government should add to commercial market to stimulate supply.
3. Identify technology gaps and fill them
- Lunar base, human tended, for propellent production and export to L1 / LEO
- Phobos propellant production to support Mars missions (may practice on NEO)
- Mar base, human tended, for propellant production and to support exploration.
10/07/2011 - Horizon Guide: The Moon (External link)
Professor Brian Cox shows highlights of 50 years of BBC archive film and talks about the space race and culminating in the Moon landings.
26/05/2011 - Articles Updating skylon development
Skylon passes key review by ESA - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13506289
Skylon: Ending 40 years of hurt - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13520948
20/04/2011 - Interesting article from the BBC about the first round of funding given by NASA to commercial companies to create spacecraft.
//NASA backs shuttle successors://
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13124924
14/04/2011 - Articles updated, interesting video from BBC about the ESA probe to titan (only available in UK for 2 weeks from this date)
//Destination Titian://
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0109ccd/Destination_Titan/
10/04/2011 - Added New Amateur Submission page and top pages with the most changes in the navigation column
Our Top Editors
News Feeds
Here's some interesting science related news feeds:BBC Science and Environment news feed
BBC News - Science & Environment
BBC Technology News feed
BBC News - Technology
External links
British Interplanetary Society (BIS) - http://www.bis-space.com/